On September 16, 2009, at The Sofia Mall, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Dr. Todor Chobanov opened the exhibition with the first restored element of an ancient chariot which belonged to an aristocrat 19 centuries ago. The ceremony was attended also by archeologist Vesselin Ignatov, the mayor of Nova Zagora, Mr. Nikolay Grozev, the sponsor manager of UBB, Mr. Lyudmil Karavassilev and the Chairman of “Cultural Projects” Association, Mr. Evgeni Dimitrov.
At the beginning of 2009 the archeologist from the town of Nova Zagora and an expert on Thracian chariots Vesselin Ignatov made a surprising discovery – under the corroded surface it was an x-ray photo of a rusty metal sheet that revealed unique decorative plate that decorated a Thracian two-wheel chariot dating back to the 2nd Century AD, with no analogy in the archeological science. The element was digged out by his colleague Mityo Kanchev during the 70-ies but it was the x-ray photo 30 years later that suggested what treasure lied beneath.
World archeology has no other similar application of an ancient chariot – a harmony of 3 various materials combined in one genuine work of art with high artistic value.
This discovery gives the start of the project “Restoration, preservation and exhibition of a Thracian chariot from the village of Karanovo” of the “Cultural Projects” Association, the Municipality of Nova Zagora and United Bulgarian Bank.
